(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) The top court in the Maldives has stripped powers from the country's human rights commission Tuesday and barred it from independent communication with foreign organizations.
In a trial that took place against a backdrop of allegedly increasing government authoritarianism, the Supreme Court accused the institution of undermining judicial independence.
Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed complained that a submission to the UN Human Rights Council was politically biased.
He ordered the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) - an independent institution - to ensure peace and order and to uphold Maldivian norms, reported local website Minivan News.
The case against the five commissioners sparked concern within the UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which had urged the government to defend the body's independence.
The Indian Ocean nation's judiciary has come under fire in recent months, most notably after the imprisonment of former President Mohamed Nasheed in February after a three-week trial, which prompted further calls for reform.
While defending the Nasheed trial during a UN Human Rights Council session in May, Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon acknowledged that the case had highlighted "the need to bring urgent reforms to the judiciary".
"It is easy to criticize, but we urge you to not only do that. Invest in us, bring about meaningful change," said Dunya.
The government of President Abdulla Yameen has repeatedly accused the international community of interfering in the country's affairs and undermining its judiciary.
The imprisonment of a number of opposition leaders this year has prompted further international criticism, with Canada calling Tuesday for an investigation by the Commonwealth. Last week senior members of the U.S. Senate urged a reassessment of bilateral relations.
The government has deferred acceptance of the Human Rights Council's recommendations for judicial reform, which included for fully implementing suggestions made by the UN's Special Rapporteur in 2013.
Brazilian Judge Gabriela Knaul, OHCHR's special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, called for wholesale changes to the justice system as well as expressing concern over Nasheed's trial, the conclusion of which has further inflamed political tension in the country.
The HRCM's use of the findings in its reports to the UN were criticized by the Supreme Court during the last hearing in October, with judges arguing that they had already rejected Knaul's findings.
The Supreme Court itself has come under particular criticism in recent years, most notably for the controversial annulment of a 2013 presidential poll and the subsequent dismissal of senior members of the country's Election Commission just weeks before the following year's parliamentary vote.
Unorthodox "suo moto" proceedings, in which the court itself brings the charges before overseeing the trial, were used in both the Election Commission and HRCM cases.
The terms of three of the commission's five members is scheduled to finish next month, with President Yameen submitting new nominees to parliament last week.
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